5 Things You NEED to Make Sure Your Manicurist Does

Because you want that $13 dollar mani to last longer than five seconds, don't you?

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Ever wonder WTF your manicurist is actually doing to your nails while you're sitting there catching up on the latest issue of Cosmo? Well, here's what she or he should be doing. Take notes, girls, because these tips can not only help prevent unsightly splitting toward the tips of your nails, they can make your mani last longer, and even prevent a nasty infection.

Make sure your manicurist...

1. Uses clean tools and has a fresh paper or cloth towel laid out for you to rest your handson. Using tools that someone else previously used is unsanitary, gross, and should NEVER happen. Also, no one wants to lay their hands on a dirty salon placemat.

2. Files your nails in one direction. "A technician should never saw the nail file back and forth because this causes tearing and tiny rips that can lead to peeling, jagged, and broken nails," nail pro Simcha Whitehill, aka Miss Pop, says. Instead, she suggests filing in one direction (left to right or vice versa) over the entire tip of your nail to file it into the desired shape while making it smooth.

3. Pushes back your cuticles. "NEVER EVER cut them," she says. "Cutting your cuticles is the easiest way to invite bacteria into your body, since your cuticle is meant to stay intact and seal your skin. Pushing them back is always the safest way to go." For more on why you or your manicurist should never cut your cuticles, click here.

4. Uses a basecoat. "This not only protects your nail from staining, but it helps give your colored polish something to adhere to so that it stays on longer," she says.

5. Runs a topcoat over the free edge (or tip) of your nail. Extending the application of a topcoat over the tip of your nail helps seal in the color, so if you type a lot at work and the ends of your nails are always banging against your keyboard, your paint will be less likely to chip because there is a protective barrier keeping it intact.

Employ these tips at your next nail appointment and your mani money will be well spent. Trust.